EP1107625A1 - Dialogue between two controllers, particularly in a dual mode DECT/GSM radiotelephone terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

The dialogue interchange method has a first controller (CG) transmitting digital words with a second controller (CD) responding. The second controller has a logic state (INT) which is set to a first state when responding to predetermined digital words (ENVELOPE) and a second state when responding to a predetermined command.

Description

The present invention relates to a dialogue between two controllers. A first controller is master and transmits first units of protocol data to a second controller who is a slave to the first controller and responds to the first units with second protocol data units. The second controller, the slave, cannot transmit data that in response to a command from the first controller.

For example, such a dialogue is established between the microcontroller in a smart card and the microcontroller of a card reception means. Through example, the smart card is a SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module) and the means of reception is a mobile radiotelephone terminal. The microcontrollers in the SIM card and the terminal interact according to a data exchange protocol asynchronous known as "SIM application Toolkit "which allows the card to trigger actions in the terminal.

However, the microcontroller in the terminal is still the master of the rhythm of the exchanges. So that the microcontroller in the card can undertake an action, the terminal periodically interrogates (polling in English) the pro-active SIM card using a STATUS command, in particular to invite the card to trigger an action.

The reaction speed of the microcontroller in the card then depends on the periodicity interrogation of the microcontroller in the terminal and so does not allow the card microcontroller to launch an action as soon as it is necessary.

The main objective of the invention is to provide a method of dialogue between two controllers master and slave type as defined above not having the above drawback.

To this end, a process of dialogue according to which a first controller transmits first units data to which a second controller responds by second data units, is characterized by a first logical state change of a first wire between the controllers made by the second controller when the latter decides to send a command to the first controller, a transmission of a first unit of data predetermined by the first controller following the first change state, and a second logical state change of the first thread opposed to the first change and the transmission of a second data unit performed by the second controller to respond to the predetermined order.

The first logical state change from the first wire, or any other connecting means between the two controllers, is taken on the initiative of the second controller, the controller who was a "slave", can thus react immediately, for example to a external event, without waiting for periodic sending of a first particular data unit by the first controller. The outdoor event can be an incoming call from the second controller when this one is dedicated to communications management and want to immediately use peripheral means managed by the first controller.

The predetermined data unit succeeding the first logical state change differs from classic STATUS command and is, according to a preferred embodiment, an envelope containing a empty data field.

Furthermore, according to the invention, a proactive control can be launched from the second controller before a command-response sequence session be completed, which is impossible in a session between a SIM card and a terminal according to the technique anterior. Thus according to the invention, very first data unit transmitted by the first controller between first and second state changes of first wire is ignored by the second controller when the latter decides to send an order to first controller while a dialogue session is in progress between controllers.

The present invention also pursues a second objective to reduce consumption the second controller which, according to the prior art, is active even between two successive interrogations by the first controller.

To achieve this second objective, the invention provides for maintaining a first logical state of a second wire between controllers by the first controller only during each exchange of first and second data units, so that the second controller selected by the first controller is active only during exchange. However, the second controller is on standby and so works with power consumption reduced when the second wire is at a second logical state between two successive exchanges of first and second data units, i.e. command-response sequences.

The invention also provides for maintaining a third wire between controllers to a first state logic by the first controller to put out voltage the second controller following a first predetermined data unit established by the first controller, and / or in response to a second predetermined data unit established by the second controller. For example, the second controller is powered off when the first controller is at a first mode of operation exclusive of any relationship with the second controller. This characteristic further decreases the power consumption of the second controller during periods of operation of the first controller for which the first controller has no use.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second controllers are included in a radiotelephone terminal and dedicated first and second modes respectively communication so that the first controller puts on layout of the second controller an interface man-machine. The human-machine interface can include a display and a keyboard used regardless of the communication mode selected, for example the GSM mode to which is dedicated the first controller and the DECT mode to which dedicated the second controller, or vice versa.

Preferably, the radiotelephone terminal of the invention is as compact as those according to the prior art. To this end, the first controller and human-machine interface are contained in a first block, and the second controller and a means of power supply the controllers are contained in a second nestable block in the first block.

• la figure 1 est un bloc-diagramme schématique d'un terminal radiotéléphonique bimode muni de deux microcontrôleurs mettant en oeuvre le procédé de dialogue selon l'invention, l'environnement du terminal étant également montré ;
• la figure 2 est un diagramme de première et deuxièmes unités de données de protocole échangées entre les deux microcontrôleurs ;
• les figures 3A, 3B et 3C montrent trois diagrammes principaux de dialogue entre les deux microcontrôleurs ;
• la figure 4 est un diagramme de dialogue entre les microcontrôleurs afin que le deuxième microcontrôleur transmette une commande pro-active au premier microcontrôleur ;
• la figure 5 un diagramme de dialogue entre les microcontrôleurs lorsque le premier microcontrôleur est en attente d'une réponse du deuxième microcontrôleur ;
• la figure 6 est un diagramme d'un signal de sélection de deuxième microcontrôleur en correspondance à une séquence commande-réponse entre les microcontrôleurs ;
• la figure 7 est un diagramme montrant le réveil du deuxième microcontrôleur lorsque celui-ci doit transmettre des données ou une commande pro-active au premier microcontrôleur ou interroger celui-ci ;
• la figure 8 montre l'interruption d'une session de dialogue entre les microcontrôleurs lorsque le deuxième microcontrôleur souhaite signaler un appel ; et
• les figures 9 et 10 sont des diagrammes de dialogue entre les microcontrôleurs respectivement selon deux variantes lorsque le premier microcontrôleur met hors tension le deuxième microcontrôleur.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of several preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the corresponding appended drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a dual-mode radiotelephone terminal provided with two microcontrollers implementing the dialogue method according to the invention, the environment of the terminal also being shown;
• Figure 2 is a diagram of first and second protocol data units exchanged between the two microcontrollers;
• FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C show three main diagrams of dialogue between the two microcontrollers;
• FIG. 4 is a dialogue diagram between the microcontrollers so that the second microcontroller transmits a proactive command to the first microcontroller;
• FIG. 5 a dialogue diagram between the microcontrollers when the first microcontroller is awaiting a response from the second microcontroller;
• FIG. 6 is a diagram of a second microcontroller selection signal in correspondence with a command-response sequence between the microcontrollers;
• FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the awakening of the second microcontroller when the latter must transmit data or a proactive command to the first microcontroller or interrogate the latter;
• FIG. 8 shows the interruption of a dialogue session between the microcontrollers when the second microcontroller wishes to signal a call; and
• Figures 9 and 10 are dialog diagrams between the microcontrollers respectively according to two variants when the first microcontroller turns off the second microcontroller.

A dual mode mobile terminal DMT (Dual Mode Terminal) is capable of communicating in a first mode of communication called GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) or in a second mode of communication called DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications). In the description below, the first GSM mode indifferently designates a communication with a RR radiotelephone network of GSM 900 type or of DCS 1800 (Digital Cellular System) type, the fixed sub-network of which is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1. a base station BTS, a base station controller BSC and a mobile service switch MSC connected to a switch CM of a telephony network RT, for example the public radiotelephone network. When the terminal DMT communicates in DECT mode, it exchanges signals through a radio terminal BR which is connected to a switch CM of a fixed telephone network RT such as the public telephone network or a digital network with integration of ISDN services through a subscriber telephone line and possibly through a PABX private switch. The BR terminal notably serves other portable telephone terminals operating at least in DECT mode.

As shown in detail in Figure 1, the DMT dual mode mobile radiotelephone terminal includes a first part BG mainly dedicated to communications according to the first GSM mode and a second BD section dedicated to communications according to the second DECT mode. Although these two parts BG and BD can be contained in the same box terminal, these parts according to the illustrated embodiment in Figure 1 are completely separate and separated and contained respectively in a case hereinafter called GSM BG block and a case hereinafter called DECT BD block linked together by a triple LC-LA-LB electrical contact connection. According to this preferred production, the BD block dedicated to DECT communications is contained in the block of removable BA battery of a radiotelephone terminal classic GSM including the case with the keyboard constitute the block BG. So, in addition to the LB link relating to the power supply of the BG block by the BD block containing the BA battery, the connection between blocks BG and BD is supplemented by an LC link between microcontrollers and an LA audio link between audio interfaces. LA, LB and LC connections are made up of three wires, four sons and five sons, each "thread" being in practice consisting of two conductive tapes extending respectively in the blocks and whose ends come into contact when the BD block is fixed by nesting in the rear face of the BG block.

Each block BG, BD is organized around a respective microcontroller CG, CD which includes conventionally a microprocessor, a ROM memory and a RAM memory which manages communications according to the first GSM mode, respectively the second mode DECT as in a radiotelephone terminal of the type GSM, DECT type respectively.

Each microcontroller CG, CD controls an audio interface AG, AD mainly comprising a speech coding and decoding circuit and a radio interface RG, RD mainly comprising a modulator and a demodulator, analog-digital and digital-analog converters, circuits for frequency transposition and a duplexer for transmission and reception channels.

The AG and AD audio interfaces are connected by the LA bond comprising a ground wire M, a analog audio signal transmission AUT and one wire AUR analog audio reception. When the DMT terminal is in DECT communication mode, the AUT wire transmits an audio signal from the user of the terminal from MI microphone from AG interface to the AD interface, and the AUR wire receives a signal audio of a remote party from the interface AD to an EC listener connected to the AG interface. In GSM type communication, the AG audio interface manages volume and echo cancellation and ignore the AD interface. In DECT communication, AD audio interface handles requests for adjustment of volume after pressing VM keyboard keys and VP and echo cancellation via command-response pairs between microcontrollers CG and CD, as if the audio interface AD is connected directly to the MI microphone and to the EC earphone at through the AG audio interface that has become transparent.

The RG and RD radio interfaces operate under the respective commands of the CG and CD microcontroller according to GSM and DECT communication protocols and are thus independent.

In addition to the MI microphone and the EC earpiece, the first BG block dedicated to communications according to first GSM mode makes available to the second BD block a man-machine interface comprising a AF liquid crystal display, CL keyboard, BU buzzer and a personal SIM card (Suscriber Identity Module). BU buzzer reproduced ringing melodies especially for various types call. The melodies are initially chosen by the user and are selected in part by the CG microcontroller for mode communications GSM and partly by the CD microcontroller for communications in DECT mode. The SIM card is removable from the BG block and mainly contains a microcontroller with communication algorithms and specific application and profile of subscription of the user owner of the card SIM. The four elements AF, CL, BU and SIM are managed by the CG microcontroller naturally for a GSM type communication and indirectly from CD microcontroller for type communication DECT.

The AF display is connected to the CG and CD microcontrollers through two wires TX and RX to exchange commands and responses between the microcontrollers, as will be seen below. In particular, the CD microcontroller manages menus for DECT communication displayed on the AF display with characters accepted by the commands exchanged between the SIM card and the CG microcontroller known as the SIM Application Toolkit. The characteristics of the AF display are exchanged between the microcontrollers CG and CD during the initialization of the microcontroller CD by the microcontroller CG, when the DMT terminal is powered up. The microcontroller CD does not directly manage the graphic display and takes into account the characteristics of the AF display to center messages on the display screen. The microcontroller CD signals to the BR terminal (DECT base) the characteristics of the display in accordance with the DECT communication protocol. The microcontroller CG relating to the GSM communication mode manages the cursors and the icons as well as any event which could interrupt a display. When the DMT terminal is covered by a BR radio terminal, the DECT mode having been selected automatically or manually, the microcontroller CD displays on the AF display through the microcontroller CG an identifier, such as name, of the radio terminal BR that the user of the DMT terminal assigned when the latter declared himself to the BR terminal according to a procedure known for DECT mode. The identifier of the BR terminal as well as the identifier, such as the name, of the operator of the RR radiotelephony network for GSM mode are displayed at the start of a main menu, in particular after switching on the terminal by requesting a power-on key and dialing a confidential code on the CL keyboard, or after waking up the terminal, or after returning to the main menu.

In addition to the AF display on the front face of the block BG of the terminal DNT, this presents the conventional dialing keyboard with twelve keys CL and several additional keys specified below, according to a known embodiment of a GSM mobile radiotelephone terminal. The additional keys are an on-hook key TR, for example red; a line hold key TP, for example green; a "central navigation key" comprising on the left and right an erasing key C (Clear), an OK validation key and elevator keys with up arrow FH and down arrow FB; and two buttons for adjusting the sound volume of the earpiece, a button for decreasing the volume VM and a button for increasing the volume VP located below the screen of the AF display and respectively substantially above the buttons TR and TP .

CL keyboard and additional keys are used in the same way for a communication in GSM mode as in a GSM terminal classic, and for communication in DECT mode as in a classic DECT terminal. For example, for an outgoing call, the keys on the keyboard CL are used to dial the supposed phone number at at plus N = 1 digit for a called party with a terminal served by the BR radio terminal and assumed to include at least N + 1 digits for a called party equipped with a landline telephone terminal or terminal mobile radiotelephone generally having at least ten digits, including for communication international. However, regardless of the mode of communication, the user dials the number telephone of the called party before pressing the key TP line socket, in accordance with the establishment an outgoing call in GSM mode, and unlike a outgoing call in DECT mode. So regardless of communication mode selected, the TP key triggers the establishment of a radio communication with the BTS base station to which the DMT terminal momentarily when this one works in GSM mode, or radio communication with the BR terminal in-the cover of which the DMT terminal is momentarily located.

Two additional keys TG and TD which are programmable according to the invention and which are set the disposition of a user of a DECT terminal appear at the bottom of the AF display screen in response to a request from the arrow key towards the high FH when a communication in DECT mode is established by the DMT terminal. Relative to the first TG programmable key displayed by a logotype at the bottom of the AF display above the VM key, successive presses on the FH keys and VM are equivalent to pressing the key "recorder recall" from a conventional DECT terminal. Relative to the right soft key TD, successive presses on the FH and VP keys are equivalent to an intercom button in a classic DECT terminal. If the user continues to navigate the menus, the two keys programmable TG and TD disappear from the display AF when the user presses another key, for example example for consulting a menu with the FH and FB.

The DMT terminal has three possible configurations which are a configuration in DECT mode only, a configuration in GSM mode only, and an automatic dual mode configuration. One of these three configurations is selected prior to any communication in a "SETTINGS / NETWORK" menu using the FH, FB and OK keys. If the configuration in DECT mode is selected, the DMT terminal operates only in DECT mode and the radio interface RG is cut off from the radiotelephony network RR and the terminal behaves like a mobile terminal of DECT type; in this DECT mode, the terminal receives external incoming or intercom calls in DECT mode and establishes outgoing calls in DECT mode. Conversely, when the configuration in GSM mode is selected, the radio interface RD is cut off from the radio terminal BR and the terminal DMT behaves like a mobile terminal of GSM type; in this GSM mode, the terminal receives incoming GSM traffic or SMS short message calls and establishes outgoing calls in GSM mode. In dual mode configuration, the DMT terminal can automatically switch between GSM and DECT modes due to a loss of coverage or service relating to one of the two communication modes; in this dual-mode configuration, the DMT terminal maintains its location with respect to the base station BTS and the radio terminal BR insofar as it is under the coverage of these.

The term "cut" attributed above to a radio interface means that the transmission medium included in this interface does not emit, i.e. is off, so as not to disturb the operation of reception means in the interface radio associated with the other mode of communication; through example, when the first mode of communication is selected to establish communication with a DCS 1800 radiotelephony network, the medium in the DECT RD radio interface, the transmit frequency band is very close to the frequency band of the DCS 1800 network is cut at least during mode communications GSM. Alternatively, in order to decrease consumption electrical terminal, radio interface corresponding to the unselected DECT or GSM mode is completely cut off during a call according to the other mode.

The battery BA of the terminal DMT included in the removable block BD is entirely managed by the microcontroller CG.

The LB link comprises in a known manner a pair of TP and TM wires connected to the terminals of a TH thermistor in the BD block and a pair of wires BP and BM connected to the BA battery terminals in the BD block to supply the circuits in the BC block. The second CD microcontroller and the AD and RD interfaces are also powered by the BA battery but under the control of the first CG microcontroller as explained below.

The LC link between the microcontrollers CG and CD comprises a first wire, said interrupt wire INT, a second wire, said second controller selection wire CS, a second block ON-off wire ON, and two transmission wires and TX and RX protocol data unit reception. The TX and RX wires are asynchronous serial links having a standardized bit rate between 4800 and 38400 bauds with bytes representative of characters comprising a stop bit, without parity bit. The TX and RX wires respectively for COM commands and RES responses are multiplexed with data wires from the AF display. The first microcontroller CG transmits application protocol data APDU (Application Protocol Data Unit) of COM command to the second microcontroller CD through the transmission wire TX. The second microcontroller CD transmits response response application protocol data units APDU RES to the microcontroller CG through the reception wire RX.

Alternatively, the two transmission wires of TX and RX data are replaced by a single wire for an exchange of data units in the work-study program (half-duplex) between the microcontrollers.

Command-response sequences are sequences of data units according to the communication of the invention analogous to that of the communication protocol for asynchronous work-study character by character or block of characters by block of characters, grouped under the term SIM Application Toolkit according to the standard for smart cards ISO 7816-3 / 4, i.e. according to the protocol between the first CG microcontroller and the SIM card. Like the SIM card, the second CD microcontroller is the slave of the first CG microcontroller, master. Thanks to the pairs of command-response, the first CG microcontroller brings the layout of the second CD microcontroller the AF, CL, SIM, BU, MI and EC elements as if the second CD microcontroller was connected directly to these, the first CG microcontroller ignoring completely the characteristics of the protocol of communication in the second DECT mode.

As shown in Figure 2, three types of units APDU application protocol data are planned according to the invention: a COM command with a header with five bytes whether or not followed by a data field, a RES response starting-possibly with a field of data followed by two status bytes SW1 and SW2, and a WAIT wait comprising a single byte '60'. In the following, the bytes indicated between two accents or between square brackets are expressed in code hexadecimal.

In the header of a COM command, the first CLA byte designates an instruction class contained in the next byte, the INS byte is a instruction code linked to a system command operating the second microcontroller CD, and P1, P2 and P3 are parameters relating to instruction. The first two parameters P1 and P2 are at '00'. Parameter P3 indicates the length lg expressed in bytes of the command data field COM when it exists. However, the setting P3 can indicate the length of data requested by a response of type [91, lg1] for data to forward in a next type response [90, 00].

Figures 3A, 3B and 3C show the three cases possible exchanges between CG microcontrollers and CD. FIG. 3A relates to a pair of command-response without the CD microcontroller retransmits data. FIG. 3B relates to data transmission from the CG microcontroller to the CD microcontroller with data transmission from length lg1 by the CD microcontroller. Figure 3C relates to sending data of length lg by the microcontroller CD to the microcontroller CG at the following an empty DATA ENVELOPE command with the zero length '00'.

According to the invention, the CLA class byte is always equal to 'A0', and the instruction byte INS has three values. The value '14' of the INS byte indicates a TERMINAL RESPONSE type instruction for transmit the response from the CG microcontroller to the other CD microcontroller following a command proactive contained in a RES response of type "DECT command". The value '12' of the INS byte denotes a FETCH instruction which, following a type response [91, lg], prompt second CD microcontroller to transfer RES response with a data field containing an order, by example relating to a ringing call or the display of a DECT menu. The 'C2' value of the byte INS means an ENVELOPE instruction to transfer data from the first CG microcontroller to the second CD microcontroller when parameter P3 is equal to the length lg of the data field of the ENVELOPE command as shown in Figure 3B, or to allow the second CD microcontroller send a proactive order request with the answer [91, lg] in connection with setting logic "1" of an INT interrupt wire in the LC bond, as will be seen later, when parameter P3 is equal to '00' as shown in the Figure 3C.

The ENVELOPE statement with a data field having a length other than 0 allows the CG microcontroller to send to CD microcontroller for example a "DECT command", a "command from call control "or a" test command ". The TERMINAL RESPONSE instruction responds to a response containing a DECT command. Any DECT command included in a RES response established by CD microcontroller results from the exchange shown in the Figure 4 successively including a command ENVELOPE of length lg or 0, a response [91, lg1], a FETCH command [lg1], a command response Proactive DECT [90, 00], a TERMINAL command RESPONSE [lg2] and an acknowledgment response [9x, xx].

Following a COM command, such as ENVELOPE, FETCH, or TERMINAL RESPONSE, on CD microcontroller dedicated to the communication mode DECT sometimes needs a lot more time that a predetermined maximum waiting time T2 = 35 ms to respond to the command. For example, in a chaining of menus, the microcontroller CD consults the radio terminal BR by radio exchange to build menus. During the duration of the exchanges between the BR radio terminal and CD microcontroller, units of WAIT application protocol data are transmitted periodically every T2 = 35 ms by the CD microcontroller to make the patient wait CG microcontroller. Upon receipt of a WAIT unit, the microcontroller CG restarts a timer of T3 = 40 ms. The WAIT response can be used by the CD microcontroller for at most T4 = 300 ms. The Figure 5 illustrates an example of three units successive WAIT pending response [SW1, SW2] to a TERMINAL RESPONSE command.

The second microcontroller selection wire CS (Chip Select) in the LC link between microcontrollers has a first low logic state "0" maintained by the microcontroller CG dedicated to DECT communications during each transmission / reception sequence between the two microcontrollers CG and CD, that is to say during the exchange of a COM command and a RES response as shown in FIG. 6. The wire CS is maintained in the second high logic state "1" by the microcontroller CG so that any exchange between the CG and CD microcontrollers is prohibited and the CD microcontroller is in standby state with reduced power consumption, the CG microcontroller can then communicate with the man-machine interface with regard to data excluding DECT mode.

Before transmitting a COM command, the first CG microcontroller positions the second wire CS in state "0" during a guard time T1 = 5 ms to wake up the CD microcontroller. After the transmission of the COM command through the TX wire, the microcontroller CG maintains logic state "0" of the CS wire maximum during a waiting period T2 = 35 ms following the transmission of the COM command and before the expiration of which the microcontroller CD must issue a RES response through the RX wire. As already said, when the CD microcontroller has need a response time greater than T2, it emits at least one WAIT response at the end of the duration T2, then periodically every T2 = 35 ms.

After receiving the RES response, the microcontroller CG sets the CS wire to "1" if no other COM command is transmitted afterwards of the RES response so as to "sleep" the CD microcontroller and thus reduce consumption of energy from it. The transition from state "0" to state "1" of the CS wire normally after a response RES, or by mistake during the exchange of a COM command and RES response causes termination immediate order / response sequence and delivery to zero of the data in reception and transmission in the CD microcontroller.

When the CG microcontroller does not receive response at the end of T2 (time-out), or when the CG microcontroller does not understand the RES response sent to him, he stops immediately exchange passing the CS wire of state "0" to state "1", then toggles the state of the wire CS at "0" and re-issues the COM command on the TX wire after a T1 guard time. This re-broadcast may be launched up to three trials. If these three attempts fail, the CG microcontroller abandons the exchange. If it is an ENVELOPE or TERMINAL instruction RESPONSE, the CG microcontroller indicates to the user on the AF display "BD block absent". This principle applies to ENVELOPE instructions of length no null and FETCH instructions, but not ENVELOPE instructions of zero length.

CG microcontroller numbers COM commands made up of an ENVELOPE of non-zero length. Two successive orders have numbers so that the CG microcontroller differentiates a new command of a repeated command. Through therefore, when the CD microcontroller receives two successive orders containing the same number, it does not ignore the second command and respond with a RES response.

Instead of the first microcontroller CG periodically interrogating the second microcontroller CD, like the periodic polling of the SIM card by the CD microcontroller by a periodic STATUS command, the second CD microcontroller makes a first logical change of state of the wire INT interrupt, when the CD microcontroller wakes up and intends to send data or a proactive command to the CG microcontroller or to interrogate it.

The following exchanges are then carried out in reference to figure 7. The CD microcontroller performs a first change of the high logic state "1" in the low logic state "0" of the INT wire. The first microcontroller CG then initiates the dialogue by setting the selection thread CS to "0", and after T1, by transmitting an empty envelope ENVELOPE [lg = 0]. In response to the empty envelope, the CD microcontroller performs a second state change of the INT wire from state "0" to state "1". The dialogue between microcontrollers CG and CD installs normally as in Figure 3C, by issuing a response [91, lg] by the microcontroller CD in the RX wire, then the transmission of a FETCH command in the wire TX by CG microcontroller, etc.

When the microcontroller CG is in the state of standby when setting the INT wire to "0" by the other CD microcontroller, the CG microcontroller should preferably respond in less than T5 = 30 ms.

If the CS signal does not drop from state "1" to state "0", while the INT wire has been positioned at state "0" for more than T5 = 30 s, the CD microcontroller returns the state of the INT wire to "1"; the request for proactive command transmission by the CD microcontroller not having been understood by the microcontroller CG, the CD microcontroller relaunches a request.

If the CS signal drops from state "1" to state "0" while the INT wire has been positioned in the state "0", and that this signal goes up from the state "0" to the state "1" without the CD microcontroller having understood the COM command, the CD microcontroller raises the signal INT from state "0" to state "1" and after a timer T6 = 10 ms, it requests again command transmission by lowering the INT wire in state "0". The CD microcontroller can relaunch this request three consecutive times. If the third ENVELOPE command request length null fails, CD microcontroller resets according to a first variant, or abandons the request of order in progress according to a second variant, or continues the order request attempts according to a third variant.

When the second CD microcontroller dedicated to DECT communications decides to send a new command to the CG microcontroller while a dialogue session between microcontrollers like the one shown in figure 7 is in progress, the CD microcontroller positions the INT wire in the state "0". For example, as shown in Figure 8, the CD microcontroller order request intervenes during the choice in a menu relating to DECT mode, after a FETCH command, a response invitation to use the CL keyboard [GET INKEY, 90, 00], pressing a key on the CL keyboard and waiting by the CD microcontroller until the user has choose the menu. If during this waiting period the CD microcontroller received an incoming call through the radio terminal BR, the microcontroller CD sets to "0" the INT wire which causes the session to be abandoned (menu in progress) by the CG microcontroller which returns to the rest. To end the dialogue in progress, the microcontroller CG transmits the TERMINAL command RESPONSE to the microcontroller CD with the result "session abandoned". The CD microcontroller then puts at "1" the interrupt wire INT and sends a response [91, lg] to start another session specific to the establishment of the incoming call. This session begins with a FETCH command transmitted by the CG microcontroller and then a incoming call establishment response [SETUP, 90, 00] so as to trigger the BU buzzer with a ring signal.

As already said, the DMT terminal can work exclusively in GSM or DECT mode, in prohibiting any communication through the interface relating to the other mode of communication so avoid mutual disruption between RG and RD radio interfaces in the DMT terminal. When a communication in GSM mode, thanks to a command RADIO STATUS, the CG microcontroller requires radio exclusive to CD microcontroller. If a link radio is in progress, the CD microcontroller needs T3 = 30 ms to signal the release of the link radio in DECT mode at the BR radio terminal. During all this exclusion phase, the radio interface RD does not transmit not on its radio channels. On the other hand, the means of reception in the radio interface RD continues to follow the BR terminal. When the CG microcontroller no longer has need for exclusivity, following the end of a GSM communication, it ends this by a RADIO STATUS command.

Conversely, in response to a message incoming or outgoing call establishment in mode DECT type SETUP transmitted by the microcontroller CD, the CG microcontroller goes radio exclusive in DECT mode.

On the front of the BG block, the hold key TP line which also serves as a Redial key for redial of the last telephone number and key amplified listening is also requested for turn on the terminal, i.e. to turn on the battery included in the BD removable block, electronic circuits of terminal, such as CG and CD microcontrollers. Of even, the hang up key TR also serves to stop button to de-energize circuits electronic in the BG and BD blocks of the terminal when the latter is no longer in communication.

Preferably, the third wire ON in the LC link between the microcontrollers CG and CD also serves to control the stop, that is to say to turn off the power, and to start up, that is to say to be energized, from the second block BD by the microcontroller CG. In particular, stopping the BD block while the DMT terminal is in GSM mode reduces the power consumption of the DMT terminal.

When the CG microcontroller wishes radio exclusivity for mode communication GSM as shown in figure 9, it sends a envelope with a stop instruction [SHUTDOWN] at CD microcontroller which establishes a response [90, 00] to following which, the CD microcontroller launches stopping all applications and radio communications in progress. When the CD microcontroller is ready, it sends to the microcontroller CG a stop request according to the sequence described below with reference to the figure 10, as a result of which the microcontroller CG puts in logic low state "0" the wire ON to cut the power supply mainly from the CD microcontroller by BA battery. When the CD microcontroller himself wants to be malnourished for example at the following a manual switch to GSM mode, an exchange according to the invention is established as shown in the figure 10, with an ENVELOPE command of zero length, a response [91, xx], a FETCH command, and a response DECT command button [OFF, 90, 00] so that the CD microcontroller asks the CG microcontroller to switch off the BD block battery voltage setting the wire ON to "0". This ON wire zeroing of the BD block by the CG microcontroller to cut the BD block supply can precede the transmission a TERMINAL RESPONSE command which is ignored by the CD microcontroller.

When the battery is switched on again CD microcontroller, the terminal reboots in dual mode automatic. If the DMT terminal is in another mode than DECT mode, the CG microcontroller tells the CD microcontroller after the CD microcontroller be turned on again by switching the ON wire from state "0" to state "1" by the CG microcontroller followed by a procedure exchange similar to that of Figure 9, in replacing the OFF response with an ON response such as shown in Figure 10. Then, the microcontroller CG can send a COM [SELECT] command to qualify to the CD microcontroller the radio terminal which was in radio link with the RD interface.

Claims (11)

Dialogue method according to which a first controller transmits first data units (COM) to which a second controller responds with second data units (RES), characterized by a first logical state change of a first wire (INT) between the controllers made by the second controller (CD) when the latter decides send a command to the first controller (CG), a transmission of a first data unit predetermined (ENVELOPE) by the first controller to following the first change of state, and a second logical change of state of the first wire opposite to first change and the transmission of a second data unit performed by the second controller to respond to the predetermined command. Process according to claim 1, according to which the first predetermined data unit is an envelope containing an empty data field. Process according to claim 1 or 2, that very first unit of data transmitted by the first controller (CG) between first and second state changes of the first wire (INT) is ignored by the second controller (CD) when the latter decides to send an order to first controller (CG) while a session of dialogue is in progress between the controllers. Process according to any of Claims 1 to 3, characterized by maintaining of a first logical state of a second wire (CS) between controllers by the first controller (CG) only during each premiere exchange and second data units (COM, RES). Process according to claim 4, according to which the first controller (CG) positions the second wire (CS) to the first logical state during a guard time (T1) before transmission of the first data unit (COM) of the exchange for wake up the second controller (CD). Process according to claim 4 or 5, that the first controller (CG) maintains the second wire (CS) at first state at most for a waiting period (T2) following the transmission the first data unit (COM) of the exchange, said waiting time preferably being the period between waiting units (WAIT) transmitted by the second controller to the first controller on standby a second data unit (RES). Process according to any of claims 4 to 6, characterized by stopping a first / second data sequence (COM, RES) and a reset of the data on reception and emission in the second controller (CD) caused by the passage from the first logical state to a second logical state of the second wire (CS) by the first controller (CG). Process according to any of Claims 1 to 7, characterized by maintaining a third wire (ON) between the controllers to a first logical state by the first controller (CG) to power off the second controller (CD) following a first unit of data predetermined (ENVELOPE [SHUTDOWN]) established by the first controller, and / or in response to a second predetermined data unit (OFF) established by the second controller (CD). Characterized radiotelephone terminal (DMT) in that it includes first and second controllers (CG, CD) exchanging premieres and second protocol data units (COM, RES) according to the dialogue process according to one any of claims 1 to 8 and dedicated first and second modes respectively communication so that the first controller (CG) provide the second controller with a human-machine interface (AF, CL, MI, EC, BU, SIM). Terminal according to claim 9, characterized in that the first controller (CG) and the human-machine interface (AF, CL, MI, EC, BU, SIM) are contained in a first block (BG), and the second controller (CD) and power supply electrical (BA) controllers are contained in a second block (BD) nestable in the first block. Terminal according to claim 9 or 10, comprising first and second interfaces audio (AG, AD) operating under controls respective first and second controllers (CG, CD) and linked together so that the second interface (AD) is connected to a microphone (MI) and a listener (EC) through the first interface (AG) when the terminal is in the second mode of communication.

Images